TTTech Auto, ZettaScale extend collaboration to launch in-vehicle, V2X service

The development of software-defined vehicles and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications technology continues apace, but noting that unlocking their full capabilities demands a communication offering that is interoperable with automotive frameworks, and allows software and hardware to evolve independently while being performant, predictable and safe, automotive safety software developer TTTech Auto has entered into a collaboration with publisher/subscriber/query (pub/sub/query) protocol provider ZettaScale Technology.

The first fruit of the partnership, now available for automotive innovation projects and combining the firms’ respective technology expertise, is Zetta Auto, the unified communication platform for the automotive industry, initially focusing on making serviced-oriented architecture communication safe, performant and predictable. It’s also designed to pave the way for what both companies said is a much-needed unification across the cloud-to-microcontroller communication continuum.

Zetta Auto is said to achieve this by combining data distribution service (DDS), time-sensitive networking (TSN) and Zenoh (pub/sub/query). Through the unified integration of these protocols, Zetta Auto’s capabilities are tailored to the specific needs of the automotive industry, and are said to be adaptable communication services for both current and future vehicle architectures.

The in-vehicle communication offering, using and extending ZettaScale’s open-core Cyclone DDS, allows vehicle applications to exchange information across operating systems, development languages, and complex processor architectures and microcontrollers.

Interoperability and flexibility are said to be achieved while ensuring predictable quality of service, throughput and minimal latency. The result, claim the two companies, is a “substantial” enhancement to end-to-end vehicle performance and robust networking capabilities, ideally suited for domain-based and zonal electronic/electrical architectures currently being developed.

In the context of TSN, Zetta Auto allows car manufacturers to harness real-time communication in vehicles. This feature is seen as having a potential “pivotal role in unlocking the era of software-defined vehicles, enabling seamless software integration, validation and verification through end-to-end communication properties.

With the inclusion of the TSN tool suite and integration capabilities, the partners are confident that car manufacturers can confidently achieve advanced functionality with speed and efficiency.

Zetta Auto is also compatible with MotionWise, TTTech Auto’s Safety Middleware which enables interoperability with established and standardised software stacks such as Robot Operating System 2 (ROS2) and AUTOSAR. This is said to ensure a smooth and efficient integration experience throughout all development phases. In addition, Zetta Auto will be extended with ASIL-D certification for in-vehicle communication in early 2024.

“With this launch, we are bringing mature technology already proven in other industries to the automotive industry and combining it with time-sensitive networking capabilities,” said Salvador Rodriguez, head of product management at TTTech Auto. “In this way, we can unleash the potential of DDS for development teams while keeping system integrability under control. Zetta Auto is our first step in making service-oriented architecture a reality in the automotive industry.”

“We are looking forward to expanding our collaboration with TTTech Auto toward a unified end-to-end solution,” added ZettaScale CEO and chief technology officer Angelo Corsaro. “With Zetta Auto, we are truly harnessing the best-in-class technologies to offer the best in-vehicle platform, along with paving the way to next-generation cloud-to-microcontroller communication and data integration.”